Navaratri was always filled with loads of work for amma. From 5 AM in the morning to 10 PM night we would see her work relentlessly in Prayer Room and Kitchen. She taught us few slokas which were chanted everyday for 9 days during Navaratri. The first 4 days was specially kept aside for Lakshmi Asthaka, next 2 days for Saraswati slokas and remaining 3 days for Durgastotras. Lakshmi Ashtaka was something she recited everyday and listening to her we had learned it. The divine atmosphere early in the morning with her sweet voice of aarthi, slokas and sweet smell of incence sticks and fragrance of good food..ummm..we miss those days.

The very first prize I won in my life was for sloka recitation at the age of 5... teaching credits go to my dad who made me stand against the wall and made me recite Saraswathi stotra, Vigneshwara stotra 4 times a day :) . He was and is..proud of that achievement even now. He tells those stories to my son "you know your mummy took first prize for telling "jaijai" (god) song when she went to nursery" and my son is all ears listening to those stories..He has an agenda this time for my dad 1. tatha (grandpa) must show me amma's school 2. he must also ...show me amma's school photos..his tatha is equally excited as him and counting down the days... :D

Well... coming back to stotras and sholkas, I thought of sharing my handwritten stotras which were in Kannada Script. Readers please bear with my handwriting. I have also linked to sites which show English version of the lyrics, Audio clips, so please go through them too..